Collisions have been improved from a gameplay perspective
Their fans won’t see it that way but it’s not good for any club to dominate for too long, and it’s just as unhealthy for any one video game to remain so untouchable that there’s no incentive for serious improvement. For the last several years FIFA has always been a good game but recently there’s been signs of complacency, that have come just as Pro Evolution Soccer has made its return to greatness. And this year there’s no question about it: FIFA is second best. 24 teams feature in the tournament, but only 15 of them will be officially licensed in the expansion. Missing out are Ireland, Russia, Switzerland, Romania, Sweden, Poland, Austria, Belgium and Hungary.
On firing up the demo at Konami's booth we were astounded with the sense of responsiveness in the controls. From stringing together passes to chasing down and tackling wingers, almost every single second of FIFA 2016 seemed to be smoother. It’s always felt like a poor man’s FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 continues that fact. That’s not to say that FIFA isn’t fun, it is, it just feels like all of its functions and features are copied from EA Sports’ beast. One thing it doesn’t copy though is its presentation. A simple tiled menus are easy to navigate and nice to look at and each first play of any of PES’ modes treats you to a step by step tutorial before removing the shackles.
Exhibition matches, online matches and training modes are standard with Divisions being PES’ iteration of FIFA’s Online Seasons which plonks you against an opponent as you rise up the ranks and thankfully it’s just as addictive as FIFA’s. The development team at Konami has made a conscious effort to keep the gameplay fast-paced. New additions like a collision system (which the game never had till this version) and one-on-one feints highlighted this when we were playing, making for a rather snappy game of footie. It's something Bhatti confirmed as well.
The licensed teams will include authentic strips. Konami says the unlicensed teams will be “in line” with their real-world counterparts, with all players and teams tuned with the Player ID and Team ID systems, and featuring authentic faces. EA has also adjusted the shooting, giving the ball a much more dynamic flight dependent on the player's body shape and the direction of the shot. They've also cut down on the ability to produce ridiculous long shots from nowhere, meaning you can no longer score a 45-yard screamer with Pique (whether that's good or bad, we'll let you decide).
From a gameplay perspective, collisions have been improved, which in turn enables aerial battles to be more visceral. 1-on-1 situations are also subject to faster reaction times, while performing tackles at the right time lets you shove the player out of the way and creating stronger counters. AI has been improved, you have more control in goal celebrations and goal keepers now have varying stats in Catching, Clearance, Collapsing and Deflecting, meaning you can find one to suit your style. The Master League system has also been revamped with a focus on single-player and slicker gameplay. Other changes include improved visuals, dynamic weather, more player animations and improved ball physics.
Other additions include myClub getting player levels, a wide camera angle, new commentators Peter Drury and Marco Hagemann. Instead, when you try and blast the ball from the halfway line it will either be sent into orbit or trickle into the keeper's gloves, just as you'd expect in the real world. FIFA' physics are perhaps the most appealing part of the game. The passing is slow and steady, but not sluggish or boring. The first-touch system is also the closest you'll get to the real thing, so don't expect the ball to feel like it's Velcroed to a player's boot. Due to Konami's Fox Engine, the collision system is also much more realistic than in previous years, players such as David Silva are no longer able to shrug the bigger, stronger players off the ball with such ease.
